


Tales of a Coyote

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: Battle Scar Soldiers [1]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Coyote Tango is a Cute, Gen, Hermann is Official Jaeger Dad, Sentient Jaegers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-25 12:29:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1648700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at Tendo Choi from a perspective no one knew existed. Connected to Athene Noctua but not entirely necessary to understand this fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tales of a Coyote

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pickleplum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleplum/gifts), [knightphoenix2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightphoenix2/gifts).



> In honor of our beloved LOCCENT Tech's birthday! He deserves some love every now and again. *grins* So do the other Jaegers. 
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

**-February 23, 2017-**

The first time _Coyote Tango_ lays eyes on Tendo Choi, he admits to being thoroughly impressed. Of course, being stuck with his pilot at the time had helped but it was either Stacker or the central mainframe in a classified area of the United States. _Coyote_ infinitely preferred Stacker to blinking lights and idiot techs. 

"Mr. Choi." 

"Marshal Pentecost." The genuine smile directed at _Coyote_ 's pilot made him feel warm as if his core had been restored to him. 

_**Stacker? What does it mean when you feel warm after a smile?**_ he asks because he doesn't want to remain ignorant. 

_That's affection, Coyote. You're learning fast for having awakened only a year ago._ Stacker answered and the wash of warmth-affection-now made more sense to _Coyote_ than it had originally. 

_**Like Mako?** _

_Yes, like Mako._ Amusement this time and Tamsin had explained that one to him earlier. _Coyote_ hung back as Stacker discussed training schedules for the cadets and the calibrations for a new Jaeger. _If you're bored, Coyote, go see Tamsin._

 _ **I like it here. Tamsin's in the shower and she said not to bother her.**_ _Coyote_ recited his co-pilot's exact words back to Stacker and receives a wave of amusement. _**Besides, if I wanted boring, I'd head back to the mainframe.**_ _Coyote_ was the only Jaeger aware and he wasn't sure how he felt about it sometimes. He focused back on the LOCCENT Tech to distract his thoughts from taking a darker path. _**He seems alright for a human.**_

 _Your judgement is sound._ _Coyote_ pressed happiness along the link, inching forward in Stacker's mind to examine the man up close. 

It was definitely a dizzying change from being nearly 270 ft in the air to just six. Choi appeared concentrated on whatever Stacker was telling him, the well-groomed brows furrowed as his pilot points out a scheduling conflict. "I'll fix it, Marshal." 

"Stacker please. We'll be working together for a long time, Mr. Choi." _Coyote_ 's pilot insists. 

"In that case, brother, it's Tendo." the much wider smile they were graced with had _Coyote_ practically glowing. Stacker chuckled softly, most likely at his enthusiasm but also at the change to Tendo. "Something funny?" 

"Several things, Tendo. Is _Gipsy Danger_ almost ready?" Stacker's right back to business and _Coyote_ approves when Tendo gets it. 

" _Gipsy_ 's ready when the Kaiju come. There's a few calibrations that still need to be done for maximum efficiency." Tendo informs them as he taps on the displays to show them the updated reports. 

"The official status of _Gipsy Danger_ is that it's ready for combat." his pilot phrases it so that it's more of a statement than a question. 

"Yessir." 

"Good work, Mr. Choi. You are an invaluable asset to the PPDC." 

"So are you, sir, so are you." Tendo's reply has Stacker's step being a little lighter as they leave Central Command for the Anchorage Shatterdome. Stacker has to get ready for a meeting with some financial backers for the Jaeger Program. 

_Coyote_ leaves Stacker to get dressed in private and he finds himself electronically drawn to a single tablet. He slides into the coding of the translucent technology and is rewarded with quiet Japanese in a familiar voice. _Coyote_ coos as he realizes where he is precisely; in Dad's office where Dad is helping Mako get ready as well. He just listens as they talk for a while and then Mako leaves, which means that Stacker must be ready to go. _Coyote_ debates with himself for several nano-seconds before leaving an anonymous comment that the Physics division of K-Science is well-run by it's Head Officer.

* * *

_Coyote_ decides ten minutes into the meeting that Stacker is a saint for putting up with idiots. He hides in Mako's tiny cell-phone for a while, helping her win games by messing with the rigged portions. Something tells him that he's restless but AIs don't _**get**_ restless so _Coyote_ 's confused enough to return to the comfort of Stacker's mind.

 _ **Is that Dad's creator?**_ he asks as the familiar sharp cheekbones stand out from the crowd. 

_Lars Gottlieb may have had a hand in making Hermann but you could not find a worse man to be under._ Stacker's quietly biting remark is unusual and Coyote can't help the confusion that sneaks down the link. _He is not a nice human, Coyote. As much as he plays a key roll in the Program, Lars Gottleib doesn't support it; partly because your Dad isn't speaking to him._

_**Dad's allowed to not talk to people he doesn't like.**_ _Coyote_ huffed as he looks the man over. 

_Lars doesn't see it in the same light._ comes the dry response that's laced with a feeling of what Tamsin had labeled sarcasm. 

_**A bully, right?**_ _Coyote_ 's double-checking his human terms but it sounds right. 

_Excellent use of the word, Coyote. But I have to play nice with him._ Stacker sighs mentally as the man shakes Stacker's hand and proceeds to bite out carefully-worded insults disguised as conversation. _Coyote_ growls as some of the insults are thinly-veiled threats to his Dad. Mako breaks the tension with her soft manners and sweet smile. 

"Marshal," she murmurs as she taps Stacker's shoulder, "Mister Lowry would like to speak to you when you have a moment." Stacker nods, a polite tilt of his lips that manages to pass off as a smile widening. 

"My apologies Dr. Gottleib. You understand, of course?" The man's expression looked like he'd swallowed an entire lemon. _Coyote_ giggled because Stacker wasn't allowed to do so. When Mako turned around to take his pilot's arm, he heard the choking noise the man made as his food went down the wrong way. "Mmm. I do hope he's alright back there." 

"Of course, _sensei_." Mako turns her head back casually and nods. "He will live." 

_**Unfortunately.** _

_Coyote._ The chiding tone wasn't working as Stacker was torn between sending laughter down the link or chastise _Coyote_ for the quip. It wasn't his fault that Tamsin's mannerisms were the ones he picked up. _Don't say things like that._

 _ **It's true.**_ he points out. 

_You still shouldn't say it._ Another lesson on humans then; they prefered to soften the truth. 

_**Okay.** _

**-May 17, 2017**

_Coyote_ had learned to move across devices as the time went on. He likes lingering in Dad's database because it's comforting. 

"How do I phrase this letter without sounding ridiculous?" Dad muttered as he tapped the pen against the desk. _Coyote_ looked at the PDF of the last letter Dr. Geiszler sent and analyzed the content. He made it into a notification from the tablet and the blip-blink noise had Dad picking it up and scrolling through the PDF again. "Ah. Dear Dr. Geiszler..." 

_**You're welcome.**_ _Coyote_ purred as he skimmed the other letters, pulling out relevant data packaging, marking it with a tag before pinning it to the latest file. A lost notification tag pops up as _Coyote_ 's nosing around in the files and he hums thoughtfully. 

Pushing it up causes the tablet to blip-blink again. "Tendo's birthday? Oh." He knows his work is done so he flits back to Stacker, finding his pilot dug deep into paperwork. 

_**Stacker?**_

 _Coyote, where were you?_ Stacker's interest is a soft press against the link they share. 

_**Zipping around in Dad's tablet. He really likes this Dr. Geiszler.**_ he responds lightly. 

_I see. Giving me Shatterdome gossip?_ his pilot teases and _Coyote_ huffs sharply. 

_**No. Just an observation. Didn't like Darja.**_ he grumbles as he passes warmth to Tamsin via link. 

_Don't tell me you fried her phone like you did with Lars Gottleib's?_ Stacker groans as he takes off his glasses to rub at his temples. 

_**Pfft. I didn't fry his phone. I made it ring at random intervals and then kept making sure it wouldn't stop. Hah. Not to mention I changed his ringtone to 'What Does the Fox Say?'. He got rid of it by throwing it into the ocean.**_ _Coyote_ presses smugness and pride down the link and Stacker laughs.

_Only you, Coyote._

_**Hey, listen, can I get something for Tendo and have it express delivered?**_ _Coyote_ switches subjects to avoid Stacker dwelling on his mischievous stunts. 

_Why?_

_**Aren't birthdays important to humans?**_ he counters as he shows Stacker the date.

 _Look at you, picking up human customs._ His pilot says with pride. _Soon I won't have to teach you things._

 _ **Humans learn something new everyday. I like it when you teach me things.**_ _Coyote_ protests, pressing himself close to Stacker and Tamsin's ends of his link. He loves his pilots. 

**Oh sweetheart, we love you too. We're not saying you have to stop learning things from us.** Tamsin coos as her mental presence cradles him. **Now, what's this about a gift for someone's birthday?**

_**It's Tendo's birthday and Dad got him something and I think that pilot that hangs around did too. Maybe something from us too? Well, y'know, more you guys than me but-** _

**It's a lovely idea, _Coyote_. What did you have in mind?**

* * *

Tendo finds an overnight package on his spot in the morning, labeled very clearly in Stacker's handwriting. 

_**DO NOT TOUCH UNLESS YOUR NAME IS TENDO CHOI** _

Tendo gleefully rips open the paper to find a box that's stuffed with thin packing paper. He unrolls the first piece to discover a sleek black cup with the word LOCCENT scrawled across the front in blocky letters. It also has a PPDC logo and Tendo's name on the bottom of the cup. He grins as he unwraps the rest to find them all the same. _Coyote_ hums as Tendo shows them off to the other techs on shift. He'd made a good choice.

**Author's Note:**

> I got freaking TACKLED by my Coyote Tango Muse and this happened. Comment if you loved, hated or had the emotional range of a teaspoon!


End file.
